Mental stimulation is the only way I can even begin to wear my husky out. It doesn't matter how much we walk or play ball or let him run laps around the yard, he is still ready to go go go.

We do marker training several times a day and are starting to work on more complicated tricks, just to keep his mind occupied.
We also work a lot on calm focus... adding duration to behaviors, playing the food shell game, and waiting for things he wants.

I also think I know exactly what you are talking about with the behavior on the end of the leash when he is frustrated. Yote will flop around and fling himself on the ground and scream bloody murder when he wants something to go somewhere. It looks and sounds really awful and people look at me like I am killing my dog.

If your dog isn't in immediate danger of being attacked or attacking another dog I would fully ignore this behavior. He has to learn that it is absolutely not the way to get him what he wants.

Just a quick reply to say THANK YOU to all of you for your input. I am trying to formulate a plan now. Roughly thinking of becoming a zen master when walking him
I have bought a complicated dog puzzle game and am trying to find a nice old dog for him to hang with plus I am just about to embark on a massive hike with him. Exercise is currently at 2 hours a day but this is going to be increased.

He is very disobedient generally so training is going to step up too and I think maybe I will have to come back to the board for more input on e-collars or prong collars to help me in formal training (not when he goes mad at other dogs though). I am in Norway and prong collars are perceived as very cruel here but I have a husky and I do NOT want to rehome him because I can't work this out.

Thanks again. Will keep you posted.

I want to clarify that I agree with Connie and Kristal that work needs to be done before you use an e-collar with this dog. I have to admit my mistake of jumping two steps ahead and leaving that out of my post. BUT, once you do the desensitizing work and get to a place where it becomes an obedience situation where you need 100% recall and control, then the e-collar is what you need.

Re the prong collar and people's reaction--please search Leerburg and read Ed's treatise on it. You'll feel better about using it. You have a huge dog there with control issues, and you just have to let go of "what people think." Who cares anyway? If you need to you can get a nylon cover that goes over the prong collar. Here's a sample of one--http://www.elitek9.com/Collars/Herm_Sprenger/Pinch_Collar/index.htm

This is something I have been working on with Maya for a long time. She is not aggressive, but her reaction to seeing another dog would make people think otherwise. I'm still learning and we still have progress to make, but here are a few things I've gathered from this community and through my own experiences:

Some trainers suggested to me treating Maya whenever she sees a dog, verbally marking it, with the idea that she would become conditioned that the sight of a dog would equal something good, like a treat. It didn't matter if she was going bananas, I was supposed to give her treats regardless.

This had mediocre results. Maya would see a dog and either get too excited not to care at all about the treat, or she would give a hard stare, swivel for a split second to get a treat, and then go back to staring and eventually barking, etc.

After a discussion about this here, I'm now working on her focusing just on me when a dog passes by. This took turning around and heading in the other direction in the beginning, or getting her to sit, something that helped to calm her and control her. Now we're more at a point where I can tell her to look at me and keep moving along provided there's enough space and the passing dog is laid back.

Another thing that I've learned in this process is to try to set your dog up for success. For example, I'm pretty sure that given enough space, we can be on opposite sides of a street from another dog and keep moving along now. But today we passed a man running with a young jumping dog. I had a feeling it was too much energy coming from the other dog for Maya to ignore, but I kept her moving to see what would happen. She gave a good woof and a lunge, but that was it. I probably should have made her sit in a direction not so head on with the dog, and have her focus on me until they passed. Had I done that, Maya would have gotten lots of treats when she didn't react and been reminded about how she is supposed behave.

And while this is obvious, consistensy is key. When I'm on a regular walking schedule with her, we're both more relaxed and I notice she's better with dogs. Weather and life have made me get off schedule for a few weeks, and I noticed she was just charged and ready to bark at any dog today on our walk. Of course, this could also be because we were charged by some dogs who got outside their electric fence recently, but that's a topic for a different post!

Finally, consider keeping a training journal about this process. Nothing complex, but just notes about what seems to be working, distances where your dog can be calm, etc. This can help you shape your training plan as you move forward. I have felt discouraged so often along the way, but looking back over time has helped me to see how far Maya's come along. This is my dog who used to growl simply at the sound of another dog's tags!

Good luck. You can do it.

Just thought I'd jump in since I have an Alaskan husky and it' s a somewhat rare breed for pet owners. Two things, first, the excitement that your husky is demonstrating is something huskys are known for, particularly at the starting line of a race. In this situation, they get to let those demons rip during an all out run- that's their 'redirection'. When you're walking your dog on a leash you don't want him to get to this crazy-non thinking point. I think the best way to accomplish this is through a combination of desensitization and exercise. Once the dog is screaming and twirling it doesn't even hear you and barely feels correction. A sled dog command I use for passing dogs is 'on-by'. I give this as we approach a dog/distraction, to tell the dog to continue straight ahead and ignore the distraction. A loose dog is very much harder to ignore than a leashed dog. Definately start this training with a leashed, calm dog to pass. For your situation, where you don't need the dog to be pulling in front of you, food or tug rewards are also an option for rewards/distraction. Other people on this board have a lot more experience with desensitization.
I don't know what kind of exercise your dog gets specifically, but, as I'm sure you know, Alaskan Huskies need a lot more exercise than a mastiff. Mine can skijor (pull me on skis) up and down mountains for four hours and still want to run more at the end of the day. On weekends I take him skiing, skijoring or hiking/running anywhere from 20-35 miles. On weekdays we cover 10-15 miles/day. Also, the mental outlet of marker training or skijor leader training really helps cut down on excess energy.
I'm not excusing the crazy, twirling, howling behavior around other dogs, but, for this breed I would rather expect it unless he is redirected and given an outlet for all that energy. Norway has awesome trails and a great skijor community. If you're not already involved, that might be something to look into.
Exercise won't solve everything, but a combination of exercise and mental work will help form a basis for desensitization on-leash/passing dogs.

Hi there all,

thought I'd post my feedback to your input and what is happening at the moment.

Firstly thanks Kiersten on your advice, nice to hear from another husky "owner". You are right, a husky is not a usual pet but I was an unwitting Brit in Scandinavia who thought huskies were big with fluffy tails and blue eyes

So anyhow we give Rockit (his name) a ton of exercise, he pulls me on a little sled, my partner skijors with him and we hike and run too. Mostly we do long walks and short fast sledding.

However his behaviour with other dogs often ruins sledding and ski-ing as he cannot pass them - if we are really in the zone we can get him to go by sometimes.

BUT the only time I can recall when the exercise cut down on his excitement with other dogs was when we went cycling all day with him and he was too tired to even get home. At that point he was too exhausted to do anything - obviously not an everyday workable solution.

So for example on Sunday he had a 3 hour trek and there was no noticeable difference in his behaviour with other dogs. So yes as you all say it is a combination of exercise and desensitization.

He sounds exactly like your dog Carolyn - and I am noticing how it is only the engagement of his mind *before* it gets out of control that seems to work.

I also notice that he really responds badly to my frustration with him. As he is so independent I always assumed human approval meant little to him, but over the past few weeks I see that he loves to do well at training.

I tried the "look" and "heel" - focus on me, in sight of another dog yesterday and he whined but he did it This is a huge improvement on spinning and flipping and manic lunging.

By the way I would really like to post a picture of him as he is maybe not what a lot of people imagine when you think of a husky.

The Mastif thinks this is all a silly hoo-hah.

Suzie

It sounds like you are moving the right direction. I have found pre-emptive training of wanted behaviors goes a long way in getting him to act sane.

They remind of me cats a lot of the time... in the sense that they don't respond as well to corrections as the other dogs I have had.

When I get angry or frustrated he usually just acts out even more.

Their independent streak is also very catlike IMO.

I have about 5 kongs that I keep filled and in the freezer, that way when he is ansy in the house, or walking around looking for things to tear up I have something to keep him busy for a while.

He is a gentle chewer so I can also use beef knuckles with him.


P.S.
You can add a link to a picture on a photobucket type account, or add one to your signature

 Quote: suzie webb

BUT the only time I can recall when the exercise cut down on his excitement with other dogs was when we went cycling all day with him and he was too tired to even get home. At that point he was too exhausted to do anything - obviously not an everyday workable solution.

So for example on Sunday he had a 3 hour trek and there was no noticeable difference in his behaviour with other dogs. So yes as you all say it is a combination of exercise and desensitization.

Have you tried intensifying the exercise? I used to take Ivan on a walk to the grocery store, with an old Radio Flyer wagon that I'd modified pulled behind him. Mile and a half walk TO the store, pulling me. Mile and a half back home, pulling a wagon loaded with groceries (and not a few cases of beer, but I digress.) Sure, it got me some funny looks, but who cares?

Have him pull something heavy, or maybe a dog backpack loaded with a couple quarts of water... Something, ANYTHING, to wear him out.

THEN, when he's good and worn out, bring another dog into the area. Other dog should be calm (like Daddy, the Pit Bull, was) and both dogs should be leashed so you can control him. As your dog is laying there, exhausted, the other dog is in the area... the mark and reward the husky's "calm" behavior like he just built Rome in a day. Sure, WE know it's exhaustion rather than calmness, but he doesn't. He just knows he's getting a reward for laying still around another dog.

Something to consider, anyway.

Ha ha Jennifer, that's exactly what I have always said about Rockit - that he is just like a cat. Must be the husky in him.
Strangely we have a family cat called Chairman Miaow who is exactly like a dog - follows you around, wants to please, guards house, hates cats

Anyhow the work I am doing with Rockit is going very well. I am avoiding direct meetings with other dogs and getting him to pass on lead dogs with focus work and high value treats (cheese).

I am also starting each day with sledding, I don't trek for miles but do an hour of short bursts getting him to "go by" groups of ducks - we can't pass other dogs yet but passing ducks is a BIG DEAL.

He seems to be improving. It is slow progress but it is still progress.

Here's a picture of Rockit on my Flickr page (if you browse through you can see our other dog, the Mastiff - Frida, she is an athletic type too but much much easier to train and control than the husky).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/71825564@N00/4394771154/in/photostream/